JUNCTION FIRE BURNING IN MADERA COUNTY HAS GROWN TO MORE THEN 12-HUNDRED ACRES SINCE IT BROKE OUT YESTERDAY. ABOUT 1-THOUSAND PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY BEEN EVACUATED FROM THEIR HOMES AND FIREFIGHTERS ARE HOPING COOLER WEATHER AND LESS WIND MAY SLOW DOWN THE FIRE'S MOVEMENT. AT LEAST 500 HOMES ARE STILL BEING THREATENED BY THE FIRE. EIGHT STRUCTURES HAVE BEEN DESTROYED. ## FIRE FIGHTERS FROM ACROSS SANTA CRUZ COUNTY LEFT THIS AFTERNOON FOR THE JUNCTION FIRE IN THE CENTRAL VALLEY ACTION NEWS REPORTER PHIL GOMEZ ,WAS WITH THAT STRIKE TEAM BEFORE THE LEFT.. HE JOINS US LIVE FROM SANTA CRUZ...PHIL??? THEY GOT THE CALL EARLY THIS MORNING... AND CREWS FROM FIVE DIFFERENT FIRE AGENCIES BEGAN PREPARING FOR ASSISTING OTHER TEAMS ALREADY ON THE LINES BATTLING THE JUNCTION FIRE. twenty four FIRE FIGHTERS FROM SANTA CRUZ, SCOTTS VALLEY, BRANCIFORTE, APTOS-LA SELVA BEACH, AND CENTRAL FIRE UNITS MAKE UP THIS STRIKE TEAM FOR SANTA CRUZ COUNTY. THEY BEGAN GEARING UP TO JOIN OTHER CREWS BATTLING THE JUNCTION FIRE IN MADERA COUNTY. ALTHOUGH THEY DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEIR ASSIGNMENTS ARE THEY'RE PREPARED TO DO WHAT'S ASKED OF THEM. SOME OF THESE FIRE FIGHTERS JUST RETURNED FROM FIGHTING FIRES IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. it was nice to be home and sleepin my own bed but this is important thing fus us to be doing and we're all trainte to do it and it's somethign we don't take lightly. It's part of the master mutual aid for the State of California so when we need help, we ask for it. When they need help, we send it. THE strike team members met AT a WATSONVILLE FIRE STATION for their briefing.... Which INCLUDED updates on the latest WEATHER CONDITIONS. They were also REMINDEd TO STAY HYDRATED BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO BE HOT WHERE THEY'RE HEADED THE CREWS ARE COMMITTED TO THE JUNCTION FIRE FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'LL BE ASSIGNED BUT WHATEVER IT IS THEY'LL BE PREPARED TO CARRY IT OUT. CALFIRE'S SAN MATEO- SANTA CRUZ COUNTY UNIT SENT A 'STRIKE TEAM' OF ABOUT TWENTY FIVE FIRE FIGHTERS AT ABOUT ONE THIS MORNING TO ALSO FIGHT THE 'JUNCTION FIRE.' ## DOWN SOUTH, THE WILDFIRE BURNING IN BAKERSFIELD HAS BURNED MORE THAN THREE-THOUSAND ACRES. ABOUT 455 FIREFIGHTERS ARE BATTLING THE SO CALLED "WAY FIRE." SEVERAL STRUCTURES HAVE BURNED, AND MORE THAN 200 HOMES ARE THREATENED. REVERSE 911 CALLS HAVE BEEN ISSUED AND SOME RESIDENTS ARE BEING ASKED TO EVACUATE. ## HERE'S A LOOK AT WHERE OTHER MAJOR WILDFIRES ARE BURNING RIGHT NOW -- FROM FAR NOTHERN CALIFORNIA TO LOS ANGELES COUNTY. THERE ARE ABOUT 14 FIRES IN ALL. THE BIGGEST STILL BURNING ARE THE EILER FIRE IN SHASTA COUNTY, WITH 32-THOUSAND ACRES BURNED.... AND THE LODGE FIRE IN MENDOCINO COUNTY THAT'S BLACKENED SOME 12-THOUSAND ACRES. ###